Blankets, Firewhiskey & Glittering Red Shoes
by thelightningstrike
Summary: Harry/Ginny One-shot. "It's you- you're everything."


**A/N: **Sometimes, I can actually appreciate the perfection of Harry and Ginny, and this was one of those times. Reviews would be a great payment for the time and effort that went into this- _especially_ as I'm in the middle of my exams.

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Blankets, Firewhiskey & Glittering Red Shoes

Ginny hugged her arms to herself, rocking forwards and backwards slightly in the gusty wind. She'd just broken up with Blaise, and even thought she'd only been with him for a month, it stung. He'd initiated the break-up, saying that it was for the best, because it was clear that she was distracted elsewhere.

_Distracted?!_ She fumed, wondering what the hell that was supposed to mean. He'd said that she was obviously in love with someone else- but she wouldn't admit it to herself. Who she was supposed to be in love with, she didn't know. All she knew is that she had really liked Blaise, and suddenly it was over, just like that. Ridiculous. She threw her net bag of break-up supplies to the floor and began to stomp forwards.

She knew Hermione would be on her way soon; she always knew where and when to find her whether Ginny wanted to be found or not. Perhaps she should hide somewhere else- somewhere she couldn't be found, but she was pulled so strongly to this place it was inevitable that she'd always end up here.

It was a small cove in Scotland, which Ginny had found when she and Harry had been visiting Oliver Wood when they were together. They'd been reminiscing about the old team and she'd gone for a long walk on her own, stumbling across this tiny, rocky beach surrounded by jutting cliffs. The sea was grey and the sky overcast; if she wasn't a witch it would have been quite dangerous to be here now- a storm was coming and there was no way out of the cove; the tide had come too far in. There was a lonely gull circling the skies above her; she almost empathised until it was joined by another. She scowled.

She sat on the floor, remembering the trip. She and Harry had had a massive argument just before coming and she'd come very reluctantly, which is why she'd spent so much time alone down here. Three weeks later they'd split up, each feeling as if that was as far as they could ever go. It had been really awkward, at first, especially as their lives were so interconnected anyway, but they got used to it in time. She'd certainly seen him with various bimbos on his arm- not that she cared if he was seeing other people. She'd gone on a couple of dates with Terry Boot, but found his flatmate too annoying to continue it- Michael was very jealous of their relationship. Then Hermione had introduced her to Theodore Nott, a reformed, rather bookish Slytherin who had lasted several weeks until she had to call it off because he was a little too nice (verging on obsessive). And then there'd been Blaise. Gorgeous, sensitive, totally different Blaise. He'd really changed from how he used to be- the battle had shaped him in so many ways. She'd really thought she could love him, and it was obvious he liked her too, so when he'd invited her out for a meal today she'd never expected- in fact, rather the opposite, she'd stupidly thought he might be asking her to marry him.

She kicked off her glittering high heels and lay down on her back with her knees in the air, feet furrowing into the sand below. Her long, green silk dress slid backwards from her knees to her thighs, displaying large amounts of lean, freckly legs. She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. It was getting two long again; way past her shoulders. She'd cut it to almost a bob when she and Harry had broken up because she knew he liked it long- and even though she'd hated the new style herself it gave her independence, and that was exactly what she needed.

It was dark when the loud _pop _came, signalling Hermione's arrival, and Ginny almost groaned. She knew Hermione would help her through it, and she'd probably be fine within a day or two, but she couldn't be bothered with the process of _getting _to that fine state. She put her hands over her face to hide the blush- Hermione had helped her out of countless situations already.

"I don't even want to talk about it," Ginny mumbled from behind her hands as she heard the soft pad of footsteps on the sand behind her. "You didn't have to come."

Hermione didn't answer, but Ginny had the feeling she was watching her, so she opened her eyes, sitting up and leaning back on her hands. She turned her head to look at Hermione- but it wasn't Hermione that had come. She frowned. "What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?"

Harry smiled sheepishly. "Hermione told me where to find you."

Figures, thought Ginny. "You still haven't answered my first question." Why, why, _why_, had Hermione thought that sending _Harry_ to reconcile Ginny after a break up would be the best option? Was she insane?

Harry walked slowly over to her. She noticed he had no shoes on with a deeper frown. Irresponsible, she thought, to come to a rocky beach with no shoes- completely disregarding the fact that she had recently discarded her own.

"May I sit down?" he asked, another stupid smile playing about his lips. He was taking in the fact that she was wearing a long green dress with glittery red shoes. Only Ginny could get away with such a clash.

"Yes," she said insolently, glowering at him.

"So, you and Zabini?" he asked quizzically, after a while.

"Not anymore," she said bluntly, again, cursing Hermione for sending a _boy_- and not just any boy at that.

Harry couldn't hide his smirk. "Sorry about that."

"I'm not stupid, Harry. You knew when you came- that's why Hermione sent you."

"I didn't-"

Ginny stared at him.

"Okay- I'm sorry- I shouldn't have- I just… so why did you break up?" he asked lamely.

Ginny paused, wondering whether she should give him the satisfaction of knowing that Blaise had dumped her. Still, he hadn't really dumped her- he'd just told her she was wasting her time when she was so obviously in love with someone else. "He says I'm in love with someone else, but I won't admit it."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "And do you know who that someone is?"

Ginny shrugged. "No. So I don't know how on earth he does."

"Maybe it's _Theodore_…" Harry said, and she detected the mockery in his voice with a snarl.

"You mean Theo?" she asked indignantly. "No, I never loved him. That's why I ended it, actually, because he told me he would die for me when we'd only been going out six weeks."

Harry laughed. "Wow. Seriously clingy?"

Ginny smiled. "You wouldn't believe." For a moment it had felt how they'd used to be, when they would laugh together about silly things. The moment past as quickly as it came, however, with Harry's next question.

"Did you love Blaise?" His voice was calm but his face read otherwise, so she lied smoothly.

"No." She said, watching him. "Why?"

"No reason," he said, shrugging, although his tone was relieved.

"Fine, then, if we're onto random questions, did you love Gabrielle?" She'd been especially jealous when Harry had lasted for over a month with Fleur's sister.

Harry smirked. "Is that a hint of jealousy I can detect, there?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Just answer the question, Potter."

Harry frowned slightly and then stood up, wiping his sandy hands on the back of his jeans. "You coming down for a paddle?"

"Not unless you answer the question," Ginny said, watching him curse at his failed distraction.

"I thought I did," he said slowly as Ginny stood, and she almost fell down again at the shock. She hadn't realised Harry had been in love… "But then recently I realised, that no, I was never in love with Gabrielle."

Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but Harry cut in. "Nor any of the other girls I have been out with since we split up." Harry frowned again. "I'm finding it hard to replace you," he said.

Ginny laughed, taking it as the joke she wanted it to be. "It must be very difficult," she said, and suddenly broke out in a fast run to the sea.

Harry watched her for a moment, startled, then followed.

Ginny was up to her waist in sea water when he reached the edge and he hesitated before joining her. "Merlin it's cold," he muttered, rubbing the backs of his arms for warmth.

"You baby," Ginny laughed, throwing her arms wide and spinning round and round, her dress rippling round her so that she looked like a mermaid. Harry stared. She was getting into the phase 2 after a break-up: the first was a miserable, thought-filled state, and then in the second she acted as if she was drunk, even though she wasn't; trying to look as if she didn't care.

"Maybe we should go back," Harry called over the wind and the waves. "It's cold and you're dressed in drowned silk; you'll get ill."

Ginny smiled wider. "Who cares!? Do you? I don't!"

"Of course I care, Ginny. Just come on, let's go back now." He held out a hand for her to take. The first time he'd tried to hold her hand in ages, she noticed subconciously.

Ginny rolled his eyes. "What a wet blanket. Hey! I have a blanket! It's in my bag!" She pointed back to the shore, to the net bag she had dropped when she'd arrived which she kept by the door of her flat at all times, for if she ever needed to escape. There was also a bottle of firewhiskey which was half drunk due to previous escapes, a thick, woolly Weasley jumper, and a packet of toffee.

Harry grabbed her hand before she could protest and yanked her along with him back up to the bag, passing the glittery red shoes on the way.

Harry stuffed the Weasley jumped over her head and then she sat down, reaching for the firewhiskey, so he threw the blanket over her blue-hued pale legs.

"Feeling warmer?" he asked when she'd taken a great gulp of firewhiskey, shivering delicately as she did so.

"Yes, although, can you pass me the toffee?" She wrinkled her nose. "Eww, I have sand in my pants."

Harry handed it to her silently, watching her set the bottle aside and rip open the packaging, stuffing two pieces in at once. "I didn't eat at the restaurant," she said between chomps. "I'm starving."

"Were you jealous when I went out with Gabrielle?" Harry asked quickly, looking away at the red shoes in the distance, wishing instantly that he hadn't asked.

Ginny choked and coughed a piece of toffee onto the sand. "No," she said, too quickly. "Were you of me and Theo? Me and Blaise?"

"No," said Harry, also lying, "but I was angry. To be honest, I thought you were a bit of a slut, throwing yourself at two Slytherins in such quick succession." Harry clamped a hand to his mouth instantly, his eyes wide with horror. "I-"

Ginny went white and stood up rapidly, the checked blanket falling to the floor, her dress mussed up and sticking to her legs in the places where it was dampest. Gritty sand covered her bare flesh. The packet of toffee and the firewhiskey bottle lay discarded on the floor- the latter she had dropped when Harry had spoken and was now soaking the sand around it. "I'm leaving."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, removing his hand from his mouth, his eyes pleading.

She shook her head. "There's no need."

She walked quickly away to where her shoes lay crooked on the floor and Harry struggled to his feet. She was bending to pick up her shoes, her back to Harry, when he spoke again. "You know what I see, when I look back?"

"Oh, I dunno… a tortured childhood? Endless years of pain and suffering?" She couldn't be bothered with his sanctimonious garb now; she just wanted to get away from him, and fast.

Harry laughed sadly. "No." He paused. "I see you, Ginny."

She paused halfway back up to standing position, listening hard. If this was some silly attempt to apologise without having to say the words "I was wrong"... She hated that.

"It's you that I see then, and it's you I can see now, not just now, but when I close my eyes- when I go to sleep. And when I look at the future, as uncertain as it may be, I see you with me. I can't, I can't not be with you, Ginny- not now, not ever. I need you. I think, I _know_, that I'm still in love with you, and I don't think I ever won't be, not matter how much I try to forget and move on, which I did, because we wanted to. But I couldn't, I wouldn't forget you, and now I know why. It's you- you're everything."

Ginny slowly straightened, her shoes glittering in the now moonlight. Her heart was thudding erratically in her chest as she tried to compose a sensible thought; as she tried to decipher what Harry had said and what she should do about it.

Harry watched her, her pale skin contrasting with her fiery red hair, and the deep green dress darkening where it was damper and looking so odd with an enormous yellow Weasley jumper hanging down over it. His own heart was almost bursting out of his chest at the sight of her, standing like that, looking so beautiful. He swallowed, and it felt as if he was forcing his heart back behind his ribs.

"So what you're saying is: you want us to give it another shot?" She asked slowly, contemplating what her own answer to it would be.

"I- definitely. I love you- I need you, forever. How ever much time it takes for you to decide… I'm here, always."

"A lifetime?"

"If that's what it takes to convince you I love you, then I'll spend a lifetime doing it. If I could convince you in a year or so and then spend the rest of my life with you blissfully and mutually in love, then that would be a lot better, I suppose."

Ginny turned to look at him, and he was struck once again by how perfect she was. "I'll definitely need time," she said slowly, and he nodded.

"As long as you want. I'd do anything for you- I'd give you anything."

"Throw in compensation for the lost firewhiskey, and it's a deal."


End file.
